"They're here!" Che'ri greeted Thrawn, Thara, and Eli at the door of Thrass and Lorana's home. "We're going to have so much fun!"

"Che'ri, see my puppy?" Eli held up his new pet for her inspection.

"He's so cute. He's almost as cute as you." Che'ri petted both Eli and the puppy in turn.

"You're really going to leave him overnight, sir?" Samkro asked, taking Sarawro in his arms while Saalias stood up from her chair.

"Just for one night," Thrawn answered slowly.

"He'll be fine," Lorana interjected. "Especially with Che'ri spending the night to help out."

Thrawn placed Eli's overnight bag on the couch. "We packed five changes of clothes and three sets of pajamas for him. The locked box with his medicine is inside as well."

"And his favorite blanket and his favorite number book," Thara added. "Plus, his toothbrush and toothpaste and his special soap."

"And his adaptive Human hair brush." Thrawn opened the bag, double-checking the content. "His skin is very delicate. I also included a Human First Aid kit, should it be needed."

"He's going to be fine, Thrawn." Thrass laid a hand on his brother's shoulder. "You know you can't take him to the meeting and it makes perfect sense for him to spend the night with us."

"Are you sure it's not too much trouble?" Thara glanced at Lorana.

Lorana waved away her concern. "I am past all the morning sickness, in the much more pleasant middle months. I'm fine."

"It gives me an excuse to put off my Honey-Do list for another day or two," Thrass added with a wink. "I haven't had time to buy a ladder to reach the top of the roof."

"I suppose I'll let you get away with putting it off a little longer, but if we don't get those shingles fixed soon, we'll have a leak." Lorana patted his arms admonishingly.

"At least we've finished baby-proofing." Thrass rubbed Lorana's middle.

"I don't think anybody ever actually finishes baby-proofing," Samakro smirked as he hugged Che'ri goodbye. "They just find something else. And ours doesn't even walk yet. Che'ri, be good and mind Thrass and Lorana. I'll come by for you first thing in the morning."

Che'ri hugged him back, then hugged Saalias and the baby. "Can't you wait until Eli goes home?"

Saalias laughed. " I guess we can wait that long to get our Girl back. We'll see you in the morning."

As Samakro and Saalias left, Thrawn scooped up Eli and held him tight. "We'll come back as soon as possible, my Eli. I promise."

Thara kissed him. "I love you, Eli. You're going to have a fun sleepover and we will see you in the morning."

"You not staying?" Eli's face fell. "Eli not want to stay witvout Mommy-Daddy."

"Why, Eli, we thought you understood." Thrawn shifted Eli in his arms so that he could see his face. "Mommy and Daddy must go to a meeting in the City. Remember how we practiced packing your bag and going to Uncle Thrass's house for the night?"

"That not real!" Eli burrowed down into Thrawn's chest. "That pway!"

The little boy began to sob, his little body shaking.

"Eli." Thara embraced him. "Mommy and Daddy can't take you to the meeting with all the Generals and Admirals and Syndics. We explained that. We will be back in the morning. You're going to play with Che'ri and Vah'nya."

Hearing her name, Vah'nya toddled across the room. "Ewi!" She waved her pudgy hands at her friend.

Lorana reached for the sobbing Eli. At her touch, his sobbing slowed.

Thrawn frowned. "Lorana, are you using the Force on him?"

"Just a simple calming technique. It's completely harmless."

Lorana gently rubbed Eli's back. His sobs quieted, then stopped with a final hiccup.

"Hi, Eli's Baby Bah'nya." He stretched a hand down to her, and Thrawn lowered him to the floor, keeping a tight hold on one of his hands.

"I do not wish you to use any of your Jedi techniques on Eli."

"Thrawn," Thara soothed, "she didn't hurt him. Look, he's calm now."

"Force powers can be unpredictable and even dangerous, as Lorana well knows." The Skywalkers' abilities Thrawn could accept and even understand to a degree. Beyond that threshold as far as he was concerned, Force abilities were best used only in the direst of circumstances, and with the full understanding that harm might result as easily as good.

" I would never hurt Eli," Lorana replied indignantly.

"Of course not." Thrass arched both blue-black eyebrows. "And Thrawn knows that."

"Not on purpose," Thrawn agreed, "but such powers should not be used lightly."

Reluctantly, Thrawn released Eli's hand. He knelt and kissed his cheek. "Goodbye, my Eli. I will come back very soon."

Thara kissed him, too. "Goodbye, sweet boy. We love you."

Che'ri watched them leave then smiled at Eli. "Now we can start our slumber party."

"Wait a minute," Thrass protested, "I know how slumber parties work. You girls will stay up all night, talking, and giggling. I didn't sign up for this."

"Too bad." Lorana kissed him, then took Eli's hand. "Come on, let's go to the playroom."

With one last look at the door, Eli followed Lorana and Che'ri to the stairs. Cautiously, he started walking up, two feet to a step. When he reached the third step, he giggled and began to dance, the puppy at his feet.

"I like stairs. Climbing is fun." He twirled and bobbed.

"Careful, Baby Eli," Che'ri cautioned. "Climbing is fun; falling is not."

Vah'nya dumped a pile of toys in the middle of the playroom. "Pway, Ewi!"

Eli tried to line up Vah'nya's shapes in a pattern while Vah'nya tried to put them in her shape box with help from Che'ri.

"Look, Baby Bah'nya, we make Agains. You try." Eli pointed to his line of shapes.

Vah'nya shook her head. "Box."

Puppy pranced around the toys, running through Eli's pattern.

"No, Puppy!" Eli scolded.

He reached for the pup, who bolted for the door.

"Come back, Puppy!" Eli ran after him, with Che'ri and Lorana close behind him.

Puppy scampered up another set of stairs. Eli started to follow.

"That's the attic." Thrass caught Eli at the foot of the stairs. "It's not a safe place to play."

Che'ri caught the puppy. "Let's get everybody back to the playroom."

Vah'nya watched, wide-eyed, from the playroom door. "No, no, Puppy!" She waggled a chubby finger at the puppy.

Thrass deposited Eli on the playroom rug as Lorana carefully closed the door. Che'ri found a box and tucked Puppy in for a nap. Vah'nya and Eli settled down with their shapes once more, under Che'ri's watchful eyes.

Thrass slipped his arm around Lorana, gently rubbed her middle. "Would you say this is a glimpse of our future?", he asked, nuzzling her hair. "I think Vah'nya will be as active as Eli quite soon."

"Indeed." Lorana leaned into his caresses. "And before long, we'll have two little ones."

"I hope she looks just like you. A beautiful, sweet, little Human." Thrass pulled her closer for a kiss.

"And I hope we can hire Che'ri to babysit," Lorana teased.


Thrawn stared silently out the shuttle window. Thara placed a gentle hand on his arm.

"He's going to be fine, Love."

"Perhaps we should have brought him."

Thara rubbed his arm soothingly. "Our meeting will last late into the night. It would not be good for his health."

"I should have insisted that you needed to stay with him." Thrawn pulled his gaze from the window to meet Thara's gaze.

"You have enough difficulties with the Syndicure without issuing demands, Darling." She tried a copy smile. " Besides, then you and I would have been separated."

Thrawn almost smiled. "And I would have missed you; however, you are more capable of looking after yourself than Eli is."

As the shuttle glided to a halt, Thara slipped her arm through Thrawn's. "He's going to be all right. We must trust Thrass and Lorana."


Peeking in the playroom door, Lorana held out her hands to the two children. "Who's ready for some supper?"

"Me!" Eli squealed while Vah'nya clapped.

"Let's get these toys cleaned up." Che'ri pointed to the pile of blocks and shapes. "I'll help you."

Eli and Vah'nya quickly scooped the toys into the toy box, then Eli ran to his puppy.

"Puppy eat, too?" he asked.

Lorana laughed. "Puppy can eat, too. I've fixed a special spot for him."

"Fanks, Lorana." Eli picked up Puppy. "I climb down stairs now?"

"If you hold Che'ri's hand." Thrass caught Vah'nya up in his arms. "You have to be careful on the stairs."

Clinging to Che'ri's hand, Eli started to hop down the stairway.

"Eli," Lorana scolded gently, "you need to walk, so you don't fall."

With a little sigh, he slowed his hopping into big steps. At the bottom, he turned and looked up. "We go back up and do it again?"

Thrass laughed. "I should tell your Daddy to put in stairs at your house. We'll go back up when it's time for bed."

Lorana had filled a small bowl with puppy food and placed it near the table so that Eli could see his pet while he ate. Che'ri helped Eli show Puppy the food bowl, then started to lift Eli into his high chair.

"Wow, you're getting heavier, Eli." She hoisted him up, just missing the chair. With a breathless laugh, she set him back on the floor.

"Eli is four," he reminded her.

"Let me help." Lorana stretched out her hand in a Force gesture.

"I think you'd best let me." Thrass laid a cautioning hand on her arm. "We'll save the Force use for later."

Lorana dropped her hand. She could not truly understand Thrawn's aversion to Force use. She understood its origins, but couldn't help feeling that such an irrational emotion was out of character for him.

Thrass popped Eli into the chair and fastened him in as Che'ri did the same with Vah'nya.

"At least I can still pick up Baby Vah'nya ." Che'ri patted the little girl's hair. "I'm going to need to get stronger so I can keep holding you, Eli. I'll ask your Daddy to help me make a plan."

"Daddy make good plans," Eli agreed.

Lorana stretched her back and rubbed her middle. "Most of the time, he does."

"Can I give Eli his bath, Lorana?" Che'ri asked as they cleared away the dishes after the meal.

"I think Eli can give himself a bath, with a little guidance." Lorana tucked the dishes into the washer as Che'ri and Thrass handed them to her. "We Humans aren't completely helpless, you know."

"I don't know." Thrass looked from Eli to Lorana. "Thrawn and I worry about all those Humans in Lesser Space, without any Chiss to look after them. How do they manage?"

Lorana swatted him with her dish towel. "Just fine, that's how. We dress ourselves and feed ourselves and everything."

"I thought you had robots to do everything for you in Lesser Space." Che'ri finished with the dishes and returned to Eli. "Don't you?"

"Droids don't do everything," Lorana protested. "I know how to cook."

"You're a fine cook, and very capable." Thrass relented, kissing her cheek. His glowing eyes suddenly twinkled. "But I'm still glad you're in the Ascendancy now where we can take care of you."

Lorana tried to swat him again, found she was laughing too hard. Thrass scooped her up and kissed her again, snuggling her closer. Abandoning her dish towel, Lorana wrapped her arms around his neck.

"Take care of me like this and you'll get no complaints," she murmured.

"Thrass, will you help me get Eli out?" Che're watched them in amusement. "He needs his medicine and his bath."

Thrass lifted his head. "See? Humans are always needing something."

"This Human needs another kiss," Lorana pouted as he carefully set her back on the floor.

Thrass pressed his lips to hers one more time. "It's a good thing Che'ri is here to help me with all these Humans."

Che'ri giggled. Eli's nose crinkled in thought as Thrass opened the medicine box.

"Eli is fwom Lysatwa," the little boy explained. He held up one of his hands. "I little bit brown, little bit pink."

"You're a Human from Lysatra." Che'ri ruffled his hair. " And you're really cute."

"I Daddy-Mommy's Baby Human," Eli said. He dutifully opened his mouth for the medicine spoon Thrass offered.

"Now it's time for a bath and a bedtime story." Thrass lifted Eli out of the chair.

Che'ri took his hand and led him back upstairs to the bathroom. "Saalias lets me bathe Sarawro now. She was nervous at first, but Samakro said she had to let me help more so she could rest."

"That man is positively obsessed with his wife." Lorana smirked as turned on the water in the tub. "What was that about Humans need to be looked after?"

"You do need looking after," Thrass persisted, balancing Vah'nya on his hip. "Shall we bathe Vah'nya next?"

Lorana thought for a moment. " Her baby tub is in the attic. Let's bathe her in it- she should still fit."

"I'll get it," Che'ri volunteered. She hurried out the door and up the flight of stairs to the attic. The door stuck and she had to push three times before it opened. Inside, shelves lined the room, full of household items and Mitth memorabilia. Vah'nya's outgrown baby supplies sat neatly on a shelf across from a gabled window. Che'ri found the tub and hurried back, the door giving way easily this time.

"Here we are. It's a lot like Sarawro's." She placed it on the counter next to the sink. "I hope Samakro lets Saalias have another baby when Baby Boy gets too big."

Thrass patted Lorana's swollen belly. "You can come play with ours if he won't."

"She'll be part Human, too." Che'ri rejoined Eli.

He was sitting on the bathroom rug, struggling to pull off his shoes. "It stuck, Che'ri."

"It's okay," she soothed, sitting down beside him. "Che'ri will help."

"Poor little Humans." Thrass gave a theatrical sigh. "Can't even take off their own shoes without a Chiss to help."

"Eli wears special shoes, you know. Thrawn says his ankles are weak. And I can take my own shoes off," Lorana sniffed, pretending to be offended as she filled Vah'nya's tub. "It's just hard with my stomach in the way."

"You needn't worry," Thrass assured her with another kiss. "You have a Chiss to take care of you."

The two little ones were soon bathed. Thrass snugged Lorana in her crib while Lorana helped Che'ri nestle Eli in the traveling bed with rails that Thrawn had brought. Puppy curled up at Eli's side. Lorana settled in her rocking chair. Thrass sat on a low couch with Che'ri beside him and told a bedtime story about a brave and clever hero who saved everyone from an army of monsters and who also bore a suspiciously striking resemblance to Thrawn.

"Hooray for Daddy," Eli murmured sleepily. "Anofer story, pwease?"

"I guess I'm not as subtle as I thought," Thrass chuckled.

"Thrawn in a bedtime story," Lorana laughed as well.

Thrass spun another story. The brilliant hero defeated an evil magician who had captured six huge ships full of people, leading to the rescue of a beautiful princess who, not surprisingly, married the hero's brother.

"I liked that one better." Lorana pushed herself out of her chair to check on the sleeping children. "Except you left out the part where the hero's brother gets the princess in the family way and now she feels as big as one of the Dreadnaughts that brought her here."

Thrass stood and caught her in his arms. "Hardly. I'd say she is more beautiful than ever, with a new life- our child- growing inside of her. I love you to Lesser Space and back, Mitth'lorana'jinzler."

She melted into his embrace. "I love you to the farthest galaxy and back, Mitth'ras'safis. And I'm glad I get to be the mother of your children."

Thrass picked her up and kissed her out the door. "Goodnight, Che'ri," he called over his shoulder. "Thank you for all your help. Do you need anything?"

Che'ri giggled as she followed them out of the room. "I'm fine. I'll just help myself to some ice cream, if that's all right."

"Of course, Sweetheart." Lorana cuddled into Thrass as he reached for the door handle to pull the door closed. They disappeared down the hall and Che'ri headed downstairs for a bowl of ice cream.


Eli smiled in his sleep, dreaming of his hero-Daddy. Brave hero-Daddy fought the monsters above a far away planet and saved everyone. Hero-Daddy finished fighting and scooped Eli up.

"You are safe, my Eli. I will always keep you safe."

Daddy would always keep Eli safe. Eli would keep Puppy safe. Drowsily, he reached over to pet Puppy, just the way Daddy petted Eli. His hand touched the pillow.

Eli's eyes opened. He searched the bed. Puppy was gone. He heard a scratching sound and looked up just in time to see Puppy disappear through the door.

"Puppy! Come back!" Eli slipped around the railing and climbed out of bed. He ran after his puppy, into the hall. Puppy scampered down the hall, heading for the attic stairs.

"Puppy! No! It not safe!" he whispered loudly.

If Eli ran somewhere not safe, Daddy would run after him. Eli ran after Puppy. Puppy climbed up the attic stairs and Eli climbed after him. At the top of the stairs, Puppy stopped. Eli reached for him as he jumped up on the door.

The door opened. Puppy dashed across the floor to a shelf with boxes full of dark red. His tail wagging furiously, Puppy sniffed at one of the boxes. Curiously, Eli followed and looked inside. The box was full of clothes, the kind of clothes Daddy and Mommy wore when they got dressed up for Uncle Thrass and Lorana's wedding. The kind of clothes the Patriarch wore a lot.

Eli sniffed the clothes, too. "It 'mells like the Miff, Puppy. Like the Pateewock."

A soft wind blew through the room and Puppy looked up from the box, still sniffing. He turned and ran towards the window.

"You 'mell outside, Puppy?" Eli asked.

Puppy was already climbing a box under the window. He pushed on the loose latch and more wind came into the room. He pushed again and the window opened.

"No, no, Puppy!" Eli darted after him as Puppy scampered out onto the sloped roof.

Eli stopped. Puppy was going to get hurt. He had to help him. Would Daddy want Eli to climb out the window to save Puppy? Eli couldn't ask him. If Eli got stuck on a roof, Daddy would climb on the roof to save Eli.

Slowly, Eli climbed on the box and onto the windowsill.


Che'ri finished the last of her ice cream and turned off her questis. She added her dishes to the washer and started for the downstairs guest bedroom where she was going to sleep. As she passed the stairs, she paused. Had she heard Eli's voice? Was he talking in his sleep?

She hesitated. She would never be able to sleep unless she checked on him. Quietly, she slipped up the stairs to the Nursery.

The door was open. Heart in her throat, she looked inside. Vah'nya sprawled in her crib, sleeping peacefully. Eli's bed was empty.

Back in the hall, she looked around, thinking quickly. Puppy was missing, too. Maybe he had run back to the attic stairs, with Eli following.

The attic door was open, too. Che'ri dashed inside and looked around, pushing down her growing panic. Eli was nowhere to be seen.

"Eli! Eli, are you in here?"

"Che'ri! Help Eli!"

Horrified, Che'ri turned towards the sound of his voice. The window was open, the Mitth burgundy curtains blowing in the nighttime breeze.

"I'm coming, Eli!" She willed herself to move to the window, lean out, look for him.

Eli and Puppy sat on the roof below the window. Puppy was jammed in the gutters that ran around the edge of the house; Eli's foot was caught under a loose shingle.

"We 'tuck, Che'ri. Puppy 'melled the Miff cwofes and den he 'melled the outside." Eli's voice trembled. "I want Daddy, Che'ri."

Che'ri drew a deep breath. She had to stay calm. "Stay very still, Eli. I'm going to get Thrass and Lorana."

She slid back into the attic and whirled around, flying down the stairs and through the hall to pound on Thrass and Lorana's door.

"Thrass! Lorana! Come quick! Eli's on the roof!"

The door flew open. A wide-eyed Thrass stood in the door-way, a night-robe hanging from one hand. "What did you say? Eli is where?"

"On the roof! Outside the attic window. He's stuck! Please hurry." Che'ri gasped for breath.

Behind Thrass, Lorana wrapped a shawl around her body. "We're coming."


"Out there." Che'ri's hand shook as she pointed. "He followed Puppy."

Thrass leaned out the window. "I'm here, Eli. I'm coming."

He eased himself through the opening and out onto the roof. Beneath him the shingles shifted. One came loose and slid towards Eli.

"Uncle Frass!" he squeaked.

Another shingle broke free and tumbled down. The roof quivered and Eli began to sob. A third shingle broke, the pieces bouncing into the gutter, jarring both Eli and the pup.

"Thrass, it's no use." Lorana called from inside the attic. "We have to find another way."

"Hang on just a few more minutes, Eli," Thrass called as he reluctantly lowered himself back through the window.

"What are we going to do?" Che'ri whispered. "You said you don't have a ladder to reach the roof. Can we get one?"

"Not in the middle of the night." Thrass raked a hand through his blue-black hair. "I guess Samakro was right about baby-proofing."

"It's my fault." Che'ri sniffled. "I must not have closed the attic door properly."

"It's all right, Sweetheart. Thrass and I must not have closed the Nursery door right, either," Lorana pointed out. "But we didn't do it on purpose and we can't worry about it right now. We have to get Eli off that roof."

"But how?" Che'ri swiped at her tears with the back of her hand.

Lorana drew a shaky breath. "There's one way. I know how Thrawn feels about Force-use, but I don't see any other way."

"He's frightened and we need to get him inside quickly." Thrass looked at the window, then back at Lorana. "Can you do it?"

"It should be simple."

"I can help." Che'ri laid her hand on Lorana's arm. "At least a little."

Lorana nodded. Thrass pulled a chair close to the window so Lorana could sit. Leaning back she closed her eyes.

"I'll need you to watch, tell me if it's working, since I can't exactly hang out a window right now," she said.

Thrass positioned himself by the window. Che'ri knelt beside Lorana, placing a hand on her shoulder. Lorana raised her hand, fingers stretched towards the window. Thrass pulled his gaze away from his wife to watch Eli.

An invisible hand seemed to tug on the little boy where he sat trapped by the shingle. The shingle held fast. The hand continued to tug.

"Lorana, can you push the shingle?" Thrass asked.

The shingle twitched, then broke away from Eli's leg. He started to slip, but before Thrass could warn Lorana, the invisible hand caught him. It lifted up, slowly and steadily, bringing towards the window.

Thrass reached out and caught him as he approached. "I've got him!"

"Fanks, Uncle Frass." Eli hugged his Uncle tightly. "What about Puppy?"

Lorana was breathing slowly in and out, in a pattern that Thrass recognized as one of her Jedi exercises.

"Just a minute. Lorana will get him, too."

Lorana smiled at Eli, then closed her eyes again. In a few minutes, the pup came floating through the window, safe and sound.

Eli through his arms around his puppy. "Fanks, Lorana. Puppy not know it not safe. Eli have to keep Puppy safe, like Daddy."

"Like Daddy?" Lorana rose slowly, carefully checked the little leg. "What do you mean, Eli?"

"Daddy keeps Eli safe; Eli keeps Puppy safe."

Thrass let out a shaky laugh. "Next time, please get some help to keep Puppy safe, please."

Eli nodded solemnly. "Okay."

"His leg looks all right." Lorana stroked Eli's hair. "Just a few scratches and cuts. Let's get Thrawn's First Aid kit and fix them up."

Thrawn.

All three looked at each other.

"We have to tell him." Lorana said at last.

"I guess he's bound to notice the scratches," Thrass conceded. "Do we have to call him right now?"

"He's probably still in his meeting." Che'ri closed the window, giving the latch an extra tug to make sure it was tight. "Maybe we can call and leave a message?"


"At least it's over." Thara held tightly to Thrawn's arm as they exited the meeting room, leaving the Syndics behind. "And your military career is still intact, even with Thrass on leave and not on hand to defend you."

"That is cause to be thankful." Thrawn squeezed the hand on his arm. "Although, they will of course keep trying."

Thrawn pulled out his comm. Thara's head drooped on his shoulder.

"We could find a room for what's left of the night," she crooned. " Just you and me. Our sweet Eli is no doubt asleep and we will see him first thing in the morning."

Thrawn frowned at his comm. "I have a message from Thrass."

He pressed play.

"Thrawn, it's Thrass. Don't be alarmed; everything is fine now."

Thara felt Thrawn tense. She raised her head, suddenly alert.

"Eli's puppy escaped from the Nursery and got out the attic window. Eli followed him. They were stuck on the roof. Lorana had to get them off… with the Force. But he's fine, Thrawn. Just a few scrapes and a bruise or two, nothing more. We used your First Aid kit. He's sleeping now and we have made absolutely sure all the windows are closed and locked up tight. There's nothing to worry about; I promise. Just wanted to let you know."

The message ended. Thrawn was nearly running by the time it finished. Scooping Thara into his arms, he leaped into a waiting shuttle. He sat down, still clutching her tightly.

"I should never have left him again, Thara. He still does not understand danger."

"He's all right, Love." Thara stroked his hair, trying to soothe him. "Thrass and Loran kept him safe."

"Safe? They allowed him to get out on the roof by some negligence and then used the Force on him. I had thought that Lorana, being a Human, would understand his limitations and needs, further, that Thrass would also understand Human needs as her caregiver." Thrawn pulled her into a tighter embrace, as if he feared she might end up stuck on a roof if he let her go.

"He is her husband, My Love, not her caregiver."

"A husband should care for his wife."

"Yes, but Lorana is an adult. Eli is a child. There is a difference."

Thrawn shook his head. "There is very little difference with Humans."

"Eli is all right," she repeated as Thrawn continued to hold tighter. "We'll be with him very soon."

"Yes." Thrawn apparently found he could not clutch her any tighter and pressed his face into her hair with possesive kisses. "It cannot be soon enough."


Thrass and Lorana had fallen into a fitful sleep when Thrawn and Thara arrived. The insistent doorbell woke them and Thrass staggered down to let them in.

"Where is he?" Thrawn demand without preamble.

"In the Nursery, sleeping."

Thrawn was dashing up the stairs before Thrass finished speaking. He flung the door open and rushed to the little bed. Eli lay on his pillow in cherubic slumber, his "little bit brown cheeks" flushed pink.

Thrawn dropped to his knees beside the bed, petted his son's soft hair. "My Eli."

Eli stirred and his eyes opened languidly. "Daddy? Daddy!"

Fully-awake, he jumped into Thrawn's arms. "Eli needs Daddy."

"And I need my Eli," Thrawn assured him, pressing him desperately to chest. "My Eli, did you not know a roof is an unsafe place?"

"Eli had to keep Puppy safe, like Daddy keeps Eli safe."

Thrawn's heart twisted. Like Daddy keeps Eli safe. But he had not kept Eli safe. Eli had twisted his ankle the first time Thrass had babysat him, he had nearly been hurt in the mountains, and now he had been injured on a roof.

"Eli?" Thara hurried into the room, followed by Thrass, Lorana, and Che'ri. "Sweet Eli, are you all right?"

"I okay, Mommy," Eli assured her. "I wiv my hero-Daddy now. Eberysing is good now."

Thrawn stared into Eli's wide, brown eyes. "Your hero-Daddy?" The anger and tension drained out of him and he hugged Eli close again, kissing his soft hair and pink cheeks.

Lorana and Che'ri giggled as Thrass sheepishly rubbed his head.

"Thrass tells bedtime stories about a brave hero who uses art and his brains to save everybody," Che'ri managed between fits of laughter.

"I see." Thrawn looked at his brother, then at Lorana. "I won't lie to either of you and say I am pleased with what happened last night. You are parents now; you must learn more caution. A door carelessly left open, a tempting bead thoughtlessly left on a table, a broach with a sharp pin, can all become the cause of needless suffering. You will not always be able to use the Force to rectify your mistakes, either. However, you did act with admirable speed and decision in rescuing my Eli."

"What Thrawn is trying to say," Thara bent to kiss Eli's forehead, "is that he is not angry."

"We are forgiven?" Thrass asked, hesitantly.

"Yes," Thrawn smiled, the smile becoming a smirk, "And to prove it, I will help you improve your baby-proofing."


Author's Note: Another Baby Eli story, ending with Eli exactly where he belongs- in his Daddy's arms. Thrawn tries to let Eli grow up, anyway. And now you know what Thrawn thinks about humans- we are children and we need the Chiss to take care of us. I am fairly certain that this is, in fact, his viewpoint. It explains a lot about Thrawn in "Lesser Space".

Thrass's bedtime stories about Thrawn are references to his defeat of the Grysk fleet and his encounter with Outbound Flight and the crazy Jedi, Joruus C'boath. Of course, in this fluffly AU, these events went down a bit differently, but it's still how Thrass and Lorana met.

I had to throw some angsty Thrawn in the end, with some PDA, Thrawn-style, which is to say, not normal. Also, Samakro is canonically obsessed with Thalias, even when he thinks she's a spy and claims he doesn't like her. He stares at her, worries about her, and is generally fixated on her. So in the happy fluff AU, where he realizes he's in love, he's just that much worse. It's good thing they've adopted Che'ri and she loves to help with Baby Boy, because if Samakro gets Saalias pregnant again, he might be so worried and hyper-focused that he will sometimes forget they already have a baby they need to take care of. At least Thrass is a little more level headed. He just forgot to actually shut the Nursery door because he was busy kissing on Lorana.

I plan to keep updating this story from time to time and next chapter will probably be about Thrass and Lorana's baby. We'll see. Thanks for reading and I hope you enjoyed it!

God bless you!